The following is a message from VACC Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Gwilym:
Arriving at the service station after a hard day of work, running on fumes, you are tired.
Cars pack the forecourt. You’re distracted. You drive up to a free bowser… and put the wrong fuel into your car.
It’s every driver’s worst nightmare. Hopefully, this doesn’t happen to you. But what if it does?
No matter how many people beep their horns at you and tell you to get out of the way, do not get in your car and turn on the engine.
You will damage your engine if you put diesel into a petrol-powered car or vice versa and drive away.
Clever people design engines to run on certain types of fuel and if the wrong one goes in, catastrophe will shortly ensue that will involve an expensive repair.
So, if you find yourself in this embarrassing situation, tell the console operator straight away.
If you can, push your car to a safe place on the edge of the service station forecourt and wait for help to arrive.
The console operator should be able to arrange for an expert to visit the site and, using specialised equipment, they will drain your fuel tank and responsibly dispose of the contaminated fuel.
Alternatively, you may need a tow to a workshop where drainage of the fuel tank can take place.
This is a costly mistake, but not as costly as driving off and waiting for your car to fail.
Once you have done the aforementioned, you can fill up your car’s tank – with the correct fuel this time! – and be on your way, wiser for next time!
